CLIAMS:1. An air handling system, the system comprising:

an upstream passageway having an inlet and a downstream passageway having multiple outlets for absorbing and discharging an air stream respectively, wherein the inlet air stream is absorbed from a gelatin capsule manufacturing machine at a first temperature and each of outlet air streams are at unique temperatures;

a set of filters, a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger are present in the upstream passageway;

a blower and a third heat exchanger are present in the downstream passageway,
wherein the set of filters are designed to remove dust from the air stream;
the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger facilitates the change in temperature of the air stream as and when the air stream is exposed to each of the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, respectively; and

a heat recovery wheel for facilitating heat transfer between the movement of the air stream in the upstream passageway and the downstream passageway.

2. The air handling system of claim 1, wherein a first vapour compression refrigeration unit is configured to supply a first refrigerant and water to the first and third heat exchangers, respectively.

3. The air handling system of claim 2, wherein the first vapour compression refrigeration unit is water cooled unit.

4. The air handling system of claim 1, wherein a second vapour compression refrigeration unit is an air cooled unit, and the second vapour compression refrigeration unit is configured to supply a second refrigerant to the second heat exchanger.

5. The air handling system of claim 4, wherein the air cooled unit is a variable refrigeration flow (VRF) unit configured to circulate the second refrigerant into the second heat exchanger, and wherein the air cooled unit is in communication with a sensor present on the second heat exchanger for determining a dew point of the air stream at a unique temperature, such that the flow rate of the second refrigerant to the second heat exchanger is regulated based on the dew point.

6. The air handling system of claim 1, wherein the set of filters are combination of 5 and 10 micron filters.

7. The air handling system of claim 1, wherein the downstream passageway includes at least three outlets for discharging the air stream.

8. The air handling system of claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger includes at least three rows of direct expansion coils for circulating the first refrigerant, the second heat exchanger includes at least four rows of direct expansion coils for circulating the second refrigerant and the third heat exchanger includes at least two rows of hot water coils for circulating water.

9. The air handling system of claim 1, wherein the first and second refrigerants are HCFC 22 and HFC-410A respectively.

10. An air handling system for use with a gelatin capsule manufacturing machine, the air handling system comprising:

an upstream passageway;

a downstream passageway;

a blower for absorbing an air stream from the gelatin capsule manufacturing machine into the air handling system at a first temperature, wherein the blower facilitates the movement of the air stream from the upstream passageway to the downstream passageway;

a set of filters present in the upstream passageway, wherein the set of filters facilitate the removal of dust from the air stream;

a heat recovery wheel for facilitating heat transfer between the air streams present in the upstream passageway and the downstream passageway, thereby changing the first temperature of the air stream to a second temperature;

a first heat exchanger, wherein the first heat exchanger includes a first set of coils for circulating a first refrigerant, wherein the first refrigerant is supplied by a first vapour compression refrigeration unit, wherein the air stream at the second temperature is exposed to the first set of coils for facilitating heat transfer between the air stream and the first refrigerant, thereby changing the second temperature of the air stream to a third temperature;

a second heat exchanger, wherein the second heat exchanger includes a second set of coils for circulating a second refrigerant, wherein the second refrigerant is supplied by a second vapour compression refrigeration unit, wherein the air stream at the third temperature is exposed to the second set of coils for facilitating heat transfer between the air stream and the second refrigerant, thereby changing the third temperature of the air stream to a fourth temperature, wherein the air stream at the fourth temperature is exposed to the blower, thereby changing the fourth temperature of the air stream to a fifth temperature and wherein the air stream at the fifth temperature is exposed to the heat recovery wheel for facilitating heat transfer between the air stream at the fifth temperature in the downstream passageway and the air stream at the first temperature in the upstream passageway, thereby changing the fifth temperature of the air stream to a sixth temperature;

a third heat exchanger, wherein the third heat exchanger includes a third set of coils for circulating water supplied by the first vapour compression refrigeration unit, wherein the air stream at the sixth temperature is exposed to the third set of coils for facilitating heat transfer between the air stream and the water, thereby changing the sixth temperature of the air stream to a seventh temperature; and

first, second and third outlets for discharging the air stream at the fifth, sixth and seventh temperatures respectively.
,TagSPECI:Air Handling System

BACKGROUND

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a process for manufacturing hard gelatin capsule. More particularly, the present invention relates to an air handling system that is used for supplying dry air to various sections of a capsule manufacturing unit.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Capsules used in pharmaceutical industries are a form of medicinal dosage in which the drug is encased within a hard or a soft shell. The shell is generally made of gelatin blends, small amount of dyes, opaquants, plasticizers and preservatives. Gelatin is preferred because it dissolves easily inside a human body to release the enclosed drug. The size of the capsule varies as per the market requirement which depends on the density and the formulation of the drug that is to be enclosed in the capsule. The shell includes a cap and a body which are fused together to form the desired capsule. A series of struts/pins which represent the shape of the capsule cap/body are dipped in an aqueous gelatin solution. The struts are passed through a kiln or a dryer where the gelatin is dried and hardened by a blast of dry air.

The hardness of the capsule depends on the temperature at which the dry air is supplied in the kiln. If the temperature of the air flow is higher than desired, the gelatin will become brittle and if the temperature of the air flow is lower than desired, the gelatin will not solidify completely onto the pins. The air flow velocity also plays a critical role in the drying process. Increase/decrease in the air flow velocity will hamper the consistency of thickness of the gelatin capsule that is being formed. Thus, it is of utmost importance to maintain and control the temperature characteristics of the air flow that is being introduced in the kiln to avoid any deformation of the capsules.

Various dehumidification systems for drying and hardening the aqueous gelatin that differ in design and output are available in the art. One of the hindrances faced by the capsule manufacturers is the amount of time taken for the solidification of gelatin on the pins which in turn takes a toll on the productivity of the process. The drying cycle in conventional kilns of capsule manufacturing machine is about 25-40 minutes. A shorter drying cycle would increase the productivity of the machine but hitherto there are very few alternatives. A US patent No. 4,705,658 by Stephen Lukas and patent No. 4,720,924 by Julien J. Hradecky disclose methods of dehumidifying the pins dipped in gelatin by microwave radiation. Though the length of drying cycle is shortened, the system requires abundant power supply for continuous microwave irradiation which increases the overall cost for running the process.

Another disadvantage of the conventional methods of drying is that there is no uniform distribution of dry air. As multiple pins are positioned closely together on the horizontal bar very little or no air reaches the base of the pins. Thus, such a design of closely spaced pins restricts the uniform distribution of air and hence irregularities remain in the thickness of the final product.

Many capsule manufacturing machines are equipped with a series of drying ducts or zones such that each duct is connected to an air handling unit (AHU). Each air handling unit are in turn connected to an HVAC unit that provides air to the all the AHUs. A US patent No. 8,621,764 by John Puckett mentions a similar drying system where the drying unit is divided into three zones and each zone is subjected to a predetermined drying condition. Each zone is equipped with a temperature sensor and the drying condition in each zone is maintained by the air supplied by the HVAC unit to each of the AHUs, in response to the change in temperature of each zone detected by the sensors. The drying system consists of a long line of tumble dryers which increases the overall length of the system thereby occupying a lot of space on the manufacturing site. Also, the power consumption to run the machine with such a drying unit is high thereby, increasing the manufacturing cost significantly.

In order to control the temperature of the air flow, multiple drying units are assembled with a refrigeration unit. However, the installation of refrigeration equipment alone becomes uneconomical, impractical and cumbersome to design, operate and maintain. A desiccant type dehumidifier combined with a refrigeration system can facilitate the control of the temperature, humidity level and other characteristics of the dry air.

In light of the foregoing discussion, there exists a need for an innovative drying and air handling system that not only reduces the length of the drying cycle but also reduces power consumption, thereby making the capsule manufacturing process economical, efficient and highly productive.

SUMMARY

An object of the present invention is to provide an air handling system for a gelatin capsule manufacturing unit so as to overcome high energy consumptions. This is achieved by fulfilling drying requirements of various sections of the manufacturing unit by discharging multiple air streams from a single air handling system. Each air stream that is discharged from the system has a unique temperature characteristic and the temperature characteristics of the air stream are regulated at all times within the system. The system is designed to reuse basic utilities like water and air for heating purposes in it. Hence, the system is economically beneficial.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the air handling system continuously sucks air stream from the gelatin capsule manufacturing unit with the help of a blower. The absorbed air stream passes through various sections of the air handling system and the temperature characteristics of the air stream are modified when it is exposed to various heat exchanging units present along the flow path of the air stream. The air handling system includes multiple outlets present at various sections for discharging air streams at different temperatures.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the air handling system includes an upstream passageway and a downstream passageway. The humid and warm air stream enters into the system from the upstream passageway and exits the system from the downstream passageway. The air stream, as it enters the system, is passed through a filter arrangement which removes dust from the air stream. The air stream is then exposed to a heat recovery wheel where it interacts with a cool air stream flowing in the downstream passageway. The air stream is made to interact with a couple of heat exchangers, so that before entering the downstream passageway, the temperature of the air stream is reduced to about 10 degree Celsius (desired ADP). The air stream interacts with a blower that raises it temperature to about 13 degree Celsius. The air stream at about 13 degree Celsius is then transferred to a dipping section of the manufacturing unit. The dry and cool air stream further passes through the heat recovery wheel so that it interacts with the warm incoming air stream in the upstream passageway and raises its temperature to about 21 degree Celsius, which is then transferred to a pin bar cooling section of the manufacturing unit. The air stream before leaving the system is exposed to another heat exchanger so that the temperature of the air stream is further raised to about 24 degree Celsius. The air stream at this temperature is transferred to multiple drying hoods of the manufacturing unit. Thus, a single air handling system provides dry air to different sections of the manufacturing unit so as to meet the temperature requirements of the individual sections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The features of the present invention, which are believed to be novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the claims, wherein like designations denote like elements, and in which:

Fig. 1 shows a schematic front view of an air handling system, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 shows a block diagram representing the movement of an air stream in the air handling system, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

As used in the specification and claims, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example, the term “an article” may include a plurality of articles unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

Those with ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the elements in the Figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the Figures may be exaggerated, relative to other elements, in order to improve the understanding of the present invention.

There may be additional components described in the foregoing application that are not depicted on one of the described drawings. In the event such a component is described, but not depicted in a drawing, the absence of such a drawing should not be considered as an omission of such design from the specification.

Before describing the present invention in detail, it should be observed that the present invention utilizes a combination of system components which constitutes an air handling unit that is used to provide air at different temperatures to meet the drying needs of various sections of a gelatin capsule manufacturing unit. Accordingly, the components and the method steps have been represented, showing only specific details that are pertinent for an understanding of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those with ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.
A schematic front view of an air handling system 100 used along with the gelatin capsule manufacturing unit (not shown) is shown in Fig. 1, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The system 100 discharges air streams to multiple sections of the manufacturing unit. Each of the air streams is discharged at a temperature that suffices with the drying requirement of each individual section receiving the air stream. It should be appreciated that the system 100 described herein is placed within the premises of the gelatin capsule manufacturing unit. The term air handling system 100 and system 100 are interchangeably used in the current description.

As shown in Fig. 1, the system 100 allows the air stream to flow in a pre-determined path. The system 100 includes an upstream passageway 102 and a downstream passageway 104 that define the flow path of the air stream. The air stream flows from the upstream passageway 102 to the downstream passageway 104 after entering the system 100. The air stream from the downstream passageway 104 is supplied to various sections of the gelatin capsule manufacturing unit. The air stream, after catering to the requirements of the various sections of the gelatin capsule manufacturing unit, returns back to the system 100. It will be understood that the air stream flowing in the upstream passageway 102 and the downstream passageway 104 will be henceforth referred to as return air stream and supply air stream, respectively. The system 100 has one inlet 106 for absorbing the air stream and three outlets – a first outlet 108, a second outlet 110 and a third outlet 112 – for discharging the air stream. A set of filters 114 is placed at the inlet 106 of the system 100.

The system 100 further includes a first heat exchanger 118, a second heat exchanger 122 that are placed in the upstream passageway 102 and a third heat exchanger 124 is placed in the downstream passageway 104. The heat exchangers (118, 122, and 124) facilitate heat exchange between the air stream and a heat transfer fluid which circulates within a set of coils of each of the heat exchangers 118, 122, and 124. The interaction between the air stream flowing in the upstream passageway 102 and the air stream flowing in the downstream passageway 104 is achieved by way of a heat recovery wheel 126. The heat recovery wheel 126 acts as a rotary heat exchanger that exchanges heat energy between the return air stream and the supply air stream as it rotates. A matrix material present on the heat recovery wheel 126 picks up heat from the warm return air steam in one half of the rotation and transfers the heat to the cold supply air stream in other half of the rotation, thereby increasing the temperature of the cold supply air stream and decreasing the temperature of the warm return air stream. Any material having good heat exchange properties, such as aluminum, synthetic fibers, and the like can be used as the matrix material. Thus, the heat recovery wheel 126 aids in the dehumidification and the heat transfer between the air streams flowing in the upstream passageway 102 and the downstream passageway 104.

A blower 128 operated by a motor 130 is designed to create suction within the system 100 for absorbing the air stream from the gelatin capsule manufacturing unit, and also for facilitating the movement of the air stream from the upstream passageway 102 to the downstream passageway 104. The blower 128 raises the temperature of the air stream as and when the air stream interacts with the blower 128. The electrical energy generated by the motor 130 and hence the blower 128, is converted into heat energy when the air stream passes through the blower 130. The air stream picks up this heat energy, thereby raising its temperature. It will be understood that the arrangement and placement of all the above mentioned components in the system 100 are not restricted, as disclosed herein. This is done for illustrative purposes only and for ease of understanding and should not be considered limiting in any way. Any modifications in the arrangement of the above mentioned components are well within the scope of the disclosure.

The system 100 and all the components mentioned above work in conjunction with the system 100 to segregate the return air stream into three supply air streams such that each of the three supply air streams have different temperatures. The first outlet 108 transfers the supply air stream to a dipping section (not shown) of the manufacturing unit. Likewise, the second and the third outlets (110 and 112) transfer the supply air stream to a pin bar cooling section (not shown) and a drying section (not shown) of the manufacturing unit, respectively. All three sections form an integral part of the gelatin capsule manufacturing process and are explained below. It will be understood that the gelatin capsule manufacturing unit can also be referred to as the manufacturing unit in the current disclosure.

Generally, the steps involved in the manufacturing of gelatin capsules are dipping, spinning, drying, stripping, trimming and joining. These aforementioned steps are mentioned for the sake of an example, and it should be understood that there can be more/less steps other than the ones mentioned. Firstly, multiple stainless steel pins/struts attached on horizontal bars (together termed as pin bars) are immersed in a gelatin solution followed by spinning where the pin bars are rotated so that the gelatin solution is uniformly distributed over the pins. The dipping and the spinning of the pin bars occur in the dipping section where cool air is blown over the pin bars so that the gelatin solution hardens and is distributed over each of the pins with uniform thickness. The pin bars are then moved to a series of drying kilns for further drying and hardening of the gelatin solution present on the pin bars. The series of drying kilns form the drying section of the manufacturing unit where the pin bars are dried under a blast of dry air. The drying is followed by stripping, trimming and joining in order, as mentioned. In the stripping section, a series of strippers pull out the hardened gelatin portions from the pins of the pin bars and the stripped portions are trimmed to the required length by a plurality of knives. Finally, a cap and body portions are joined in a joining block to form a capsule. After the entire process, the pin bars are transferred to the pin bar cooling section. The pins bars are dried in the pin bar cooling section by supplying warm air for removal of the possible remains of the gelatin solution that stuck on the pins of the pin bars. This makes the pin bars ready to be used again for manufacturing a new batch of capsules. Hence, a continuous flow of dry and warm air at different temperatures are predominantly required in the dipping section, the pin bar cooling section and the drying section of the capsule manufacturing unit. The system 100 meets all of the drying needs of these three sections as explained in the subsequent paragraphs.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the blower 128 creates suction in the system 100 for sucking the air stream from the manufacturing unit into the system 100. The air stream enters from the inlet 106 into the upstream passageway 102. The return air stream enters the system 100 at a first temperature which is about 22-25 degree Celsius and has a relative humidity of around 55 %. The return air stream passes through the set of filters 114 where the set of filters 114 removes dust particles from the return air stream. The return air stream after passing through the set of filters 114 interacts with the heat recovery wheel 126 where it exchanges heat with the already flowing cool supply air stream in the downstream passageway 104. The heat transfer lowers the temperature of the return air stream to a second temperature. The return air stream at the second temperature is further cooled to a third temperature as and when it is exposed to the first heat exchanger 118. The first heat exchanger 118 includes a first set of coils to circulate a first refrigerant that acts as a heat transfer fluid. In an embodiment of the present invention, the first refrigerant is supplied by a first vapour compression refrigeration unit 132. The first vapour compression refrigeration unit 132 is a water cooled unit i.e., the first refrigerant is cooled in a condenser with the help of water. The water from the condenser of the first vapour compression refrigeration unit 132 is transferred to the third heat exchanger 124 and the transferred water acts as a heat transfer fluid for the third heat exchanger 124. In another embodiment of the present invention, the first refrigerant is HCFC 22. The interaction of the return air stream with the first set of coils reduces the second temperature of the return air stream to the third temperature. The return air stream at the third temperature is further exposed to the second heat exchanger 122. The second heat exchanger 122 includes a second set of coils for circulating a second refrigerant that acts as a heat transfer fluid. In an embodiment of the present invention, the second refrigerant is supplied by a second vapour compression refrigeration unit 134. The second vapour compression refrigeration unit 134 is an air cooled variable refrigerant flow (VRF) unit i.e., the second refrigerant is cooled in a condenser by using air. In another embodiment of the present invention, the second refrigerant is HFC-410A. Examples of other refrigerants generally used are HC-290 (propane), HC-1270 (propene) and the like. It should be appreciated that, the use of any other refrigerant as the first and second refrigerants is well within the scope of the invention.

The third temperature of the return air stream, after interacting with the second heat exchanger 122 is lowered to a fourth temperature. The flow rate of the second refrigerant to the second set of coils is regulated by the air cooled VRF unit 134. A dew point sensor (not shown) is in communication with the air cooled VRF unit 134 that detects a dew point of the return air stream leaving the second set of coils at the fourth temperature. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fourth temperature is about 10 degree Celsius. The flow rate of the second refrigerant is controlled and regulated based on the dew point of the return air stream detected by the dew point sensor. The flow rate of the second refrigerant is increased if the dew point is above a desired value whereas the flow rate of the refrigerant is decreased if the dew point is below the desired value. After the heat exchange with the second heat exchanger 122, the blower 128 guides the return air stream from the upstream passageway 102 to the downstream passageway 104. The air stream interacts with the blower 128, thereby increasing its temperature to a fifth temperature i.e., about 13 degree Celsius. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fifth temperature is 13.2 degree Celsius.

The supply air stream at about 13 degree Celsius in the downstream passageway 104 bifurcates into two air streams – one air stream exists through the first outlet 108 and is transferred to the dipping section while another air stream flows further ahead in the downstream passageway 104 to interact with the heat recovery wheel 126. The heat recovery wheel 126 facilitates the heat exchange between the supply air stream at about 13 degree Celsius and a comparatively warmer return air stream flowing in the upstream passageway 102. The interaction with the warm return air stream raises the temperature of the supply air stream to a sixth temperature. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sixth temperature is 21.5 degree Celsius. A part of the supply air stream at about 21 degree Celsius makes its way through the second outlet 110 to the pin bar cooling section and remainder of the supply air stream is exposed to a third heat exchanger 124. The third heat exchanger 124 includes a third set of coils to circulate the heat transfer fluid. As explained in the preceding paragraph, water from the first vapour compression refrigeration unit 132 transferred to the third set of coils of the third heat exchanger 124. The contact between the supply air stream and the third heat exchanger 124 raises the temperature of the supply air stream to a seventh temperature. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the seventh temperature is 24 degree Celsius. Finally, the dust and moisture free supply air stream at about 24 degree Celsius is supplied from the third outlet 112 is transferred to the drying section. The air stream, after passing through the various sections of the manufacturing unit as explained above, returns back to the system 100 from the upstream passageway 102 via inlet 106.

A block diagram 200 depicting the movement of the air stream in the system 100 of Fig. 1 is shown in Fig. 2, according to an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. The air stream enters the system 100 from the gelatin capsule manufacturing unit at temperature (T1) represented by a block 202. The air stream is filtered for dust as it passes through the set of filters 204. The air stream further encounters the heat recovery wheel 206 and experiences a reduction in its temperature (T2). The temperature of the air stream is reduced to a temperature (T3) after it comes in contact with the first heat exchanger 208. The temperature of the air stream is further reduced to about 10 degree Celsius (T4) after it comes in contact with the second heat exchanger 210. The air stream is further exposed to the blower 212 where it gains heat so that the temperature of the air stream rises to about 13 degree Celsius (T5). The air stream at about 13 degree Celsius (T5) is transferred to the dipping section 214 as shown in Fig. 2. Moving forward, the heat recovery wheel 206 increases the temperature of the air stream from about 13 degree Celsius to about 21 degree Celsius (T6) which caters to the drying requirement of the pin bar cooling section 216. Finally, the air stream interacts with the third heat exchanger 218, thereby raising its temperature further to about 24 degree Celsius (T7). The air stream at about 24 degree Celsius is passed on to the drying section 220. Thus, a single air handling unit, in this case the system 100 discharges air streams at three different temperatures to multiple sections of the gelatin capsule manufacturing unit. The air stream, after passing through the various sections of the manufacturing unit as explained above, returns back to the system 100 as shown in Fig. 2.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the regulatory feature of the air cooled VRF unit 134 by sensing the dew point increases the accuracy of attaining the temperature of the air stream that leaves the second set of coils i.e. the fourth temperature. The presence of the air cooled VRF unit 134 reduces the margin of error in attaining the fourth temperature of the air stream within close tolerance of ± 0.5oC. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first and second heat exchangers 118 and 122 are direct expansion units while the third heat exchanger 124 is a water to air heat exchanger unit. The use of direct expansion units facilitates efficient heat transfer between the air stream and the heat exchanging equipment. The number of rows of direct expansion coils that represent the first and second set of coils are at least three and six respectively. The number of rows of hot water coils that represent the third set of coils are at least two. According to another embodiment of the present invention, combination of 5 and 10 micron filters are used as the set of filters 114. It should be appreciated that the use of any other type of filters is well within the scope of the disclosure.

The addition/removal of heat exchanging units other than the once mentioned above in order to meet the specific temperature requirements of the air stream is well within the scope of the disclosure. It should also be appreciated that there can be multiple outlets catering to the drying requirements of multiple sections of the manufacturing unit apart from the once mentioned above.

It will be understood by a person skilled in the art, that the temperatures of the air streams set forth above are preferred for a particular gelatin capsule formulation and should not be construed as limiting in any way. The temperature requirements may vary based on the formulation of the gelatin. The system 100 can be configured to produce air streams at different temperatures other than the ones mentioned above. Also, the size and shape of the gelatin capsules depend on the properties of the drug that is to be enclosed within the capsule. Hence, capsules of various sizes, shapes and thickness are manufactured to cope up with the market requirements. The drying temperature requirements will vary with the physical attributes of the capsule. It should be understood that the scope of this disclosure is not to limit the system 100 to be used to manufacture any one particular type of gelatin capsule. Capsules of various sizes can be produced by using the system 100 along with the manufacturing unit by regulating the temperature characteristics of the air stream accordingly.

The description relating to the functioning of the system 100 as mentioned above follows the best mode of practicing the invention. The invention however, can be practiced in many ways other than the one disclosed. The air handling system 100 of the current disclosure can be used with other HVAC, air conditioning systems, manufacturing units and the like, not necessarily the ones described above.

As the air handling system 100 discharges air at different temperatures to various sections of the manufacturing unit, the power consumption and cost of installing multiple air handling units reduces significantly. Also constant air flow velocity from the air handling system 100 ensures uniform distribution of air in each of the section receiving the air. Hence, there remains uniformity in the thickness of all the capsules produced by the capsule manufacturing unit.

The present invention has been described herein with reference to a particular embodiment for a particular application. Although selected embodiments have been illustrated and described in detail, it may be understood that various substitutions and alterations are possible. Those having ordinary skill in the art and access to the present teachings may recognize additional various substitutions and alterations are also possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and as defined by the following claim.